The Best of the Cambridge Cultural Festivals

For free entertainment, live music, delicious food and tons of family fun, mark your calendar with Cambridge’s many cultural festivals all supremely easy to get to from here at the Atmark. Here are a few to get you started.

Two hundred thousand people can’t be wrong. Throngs of fun-loving folks gather along the banks of the Charles River each June for this free event sponsored by the Cambridge Arts Council. Experience the city’s cultural heritage with live jazz, folk, Latin and world music performances, dance, art and art-making.

From the rhythmic music to the dazzling parade of costumes, this wildly popular celebration is sure to keep you moving. Rooted in African traditions, the event seeks to celebrate “the history and culture of the Caribbean and Carnival traditions based on the models of Trinidad and Tobago and Brazil.”

With 30 to 40 teams competing, the dragon boat races will mesmerize you but be sure to step into the main tent for traditional Chinese music, arts and crafts, and cultural performances. And if you really want to join the celebration, don’t miss out on the amazing 10-course dinner banquet.

Dance stages and chalk art murals, hot air balloons and beer gardens these are just a few items that set MayFair apart from almost any other street festival you’ll find. If it’s hard to imagine over 100,000 happy people crowding into Harvard Square, you have to experience it to believe it.

There’s so much to celebrate in Cambridge’s increasingly rich multicultural traditions. These events are a sure way to discover a new favorite dish, artist or musician along with some of Cambridge’s history. And they grow more popular every year, so come early (and come hungry!).